Timer



J. A. ANDERSON.

TIMER.

APPLl'CATlOH FILED MAR-13,1920.

v 1,420,012. Patented June 20, 1922'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. ANDERSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIMER.

income.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1922.

Application filed March 13, 1920. Serial No. 365,406.

a citizen of the United States, residing at,

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massaclnisetts, have invented new andusetul Improvements in Timers, of which the following is a specification.

tlhis invention relates to improvements in timers, also known as commutators,1or use in connection with gasoline engines.

It is the object of the invention to provide a simple, practical device capable of ,making a perfect electric contact at all speeds, for timing the instant at which the spark plugs oi? a gasoline engine will lire.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device which will not require lubrication, thereby eliminating the danger of short circuiting the electric current and also making it easier to start the engine be-- cause of the absence of oil upon the contactmembers.

The ii'ivention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts whereby the above objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing, may be accomplished as set torth in the following specification and particularly pointed out .in the claims thereof. 1

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a cross sectional view of a casing with a timer mechanism enibodying my invention, mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-4 01'' Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail llOllZOIltitlSGCtlOIl taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 11 of Fig. 1.

Like numerals reterto hlie parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 represents a, casing upon which are mounted a plurality of stationary contact members 6. There may be any number oi the stationarycontact members 6 according to the number of cylinders comprising the engine; in this instance, however, there are E in number, being evenly spaced around the circumiei ence of the caslng 5 and lnsulated theretrom by members 7 and 8. The insulating member 7 is located upon the inner side of the easing 5 and extends therethrough being surrounded upon the exterior'of the casing by the member 8. The stationary contact mem bers 6 are each provided with extensions 9 the casing 5 and securing said stationary contact members within the insulating members. 'lhumbhuts 11 have screw threaded engagement with the outer end of the extensions 9 and serve to connect electric wires 12 thereto.

Each stationary contact member 6 is provided upon its inner end with a transversely extending slot 13 through which a contact member 1 1 is adapted to rotate and contact with the sides thereof. The opposite ends of the slots 13 are tlared at 15 to :tacilitate the passage oi the rotary contact member 141 therethrough. 1a is fastened to a sleeve 16 which, in turn, is fastened to a shaft 1'? by a pin 18 and is therefore rotatable therewith. The sleeve 16 and shaft 17 together constitute a rotary The rotary contact member driving member. A grounded wire from magneto or some other source 01 electric supply, allows an electric current to flow through the various metal parts oil the engine and thereby into the shait 17. The rotary contact member 14; consists of a I pair of par.

allel contact plates 21 and 22 which are pivoted upon 'studs23, the said studs being secured by pins 2% to projections 25 formed integral with the sleeve 16 and which project laterally '[rom opposite sides thereof.

-, The contact plates 21and 22 areeach provided with cars 26 and 27 respectively which are bent at right angles'thereto, the studs 23 passing through each of said ears and forming pivots upon opposite sides of the'sleeve,

16 Which are common to each contact plate.

The contact plates are each provided with a ioot 28 the tip ends-oi which are bent toward each other at 29. I A spring 30 is located between the contact plates 21 and 22 being supported upon pins 31, and tends to force the foot 28 of each contact plate away from the other and force 'a projection 32 formed integral with the contact plate 21 against the contract plate 22 when the feet 28 are not passing through the slots 13 oi the contact members A spring 33 ismounted upon the upper side of the sleeve 16, opposite extremities of said. spring terminating adjacent to the inner surface of the contact plates 21 and 22, thereby positioning the rotary contact member upon the sleeve 16 in order that the feet 28 thereof will properly align with the slots 13 of the stationary contact members and allow said rotary contact member let to rock slightly as a unit upon the studs 23 ii? for any reason the shaft 17 should be slightly out of align ment andthereby not rotate perfectly true.

The general operation of my improved timer is as follows: As the shaft 17 is rotated by suitable mechanism not shown in the drawings, but well known to those skilled in the art, the rotary contact member 14 will rotate therewith, the "foot 28 of each contact plate passing through the slot 13 of each stationary contact member (3. The feet 28 Will contact With the \val s at each side of the slot 13 and thereby complete an electric circuit successively through each stationary contact member (3. The tips of each foot are bent inwardly and the ends of each slot are flared outwardly thereby facilitating the passage of said feet through said slots. As th feet pass through the slots 13 they will yield inivardly slightly against the pressure of the spring 30 which always tends to force them away from each other, the stop 32 limiting said movement.

If the sides of the feet \vear lrom contact with the walls of the slots 13, the tip end of the stop 32 may be filed aivay slightly to compensate for the wear upon the sides of the feet. The contact plates 21 and 22 are so mounted relatively to the other that they may rock independently or in unison upon the studs 23. The stationary contact members 6 will always wear smooth and even, thereby allowing a perfect electric contact to be made at any speed at which the rotary contact member lat may be driven.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire by Letters Patent to secure is:

l. A device of? the character described having, in combination, a casing, a plurality oi stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a rotatable driving); member, and a rotatable contact member pivotally attached to said rotatable driving member upon opposite sides of the axis thereof and adapted. to successively engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough.

2. A device of the character described having, in combination, a casing, a plurality o! stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a rotatable drivingmember, and a rotatable contact men' ber surroui'iding said rotatable driving member, and pivotally attached thereto pon opposite sides of the axis thereol and adapted to successively engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough.

3. A device of the character described having, in comliiination, a casing, a plurality of stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a rotatable driving member, a rotatable contact member pivotally attached to said rotatable driving member upon opposite sides of the axis thereof and adapted to successively engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough, and resilient means adaptnl to position said rotatable contact member relatively to saidv rotatable driving member.

i. A devic of the character described having, in combii'iation, a casing, a plurality of .tionary contact men'ibers attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, each of said tationary contact members being provided with a ansversely extending slot, a rotatable driving member, a rotatable contact member pivotally attached to said rotatable drl 'ing member upon opposite sides of the axis thereof and adapted to successively ensai l stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethroun h. saitl rotatable contact member being arranged to pass through the transverse slots of said stationary contact members during its rotation.

A device 011 the character described having, in combination, a casing. a pluraliiv ol stationz iry contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a rotatable driving; member, and a rotatable contact member embodying therein a phi-- rality of contact plates pivotail mounted upon said rotatable driving member upon opposite sides o'l. the axis thertad each havinc; a "foot 'lorn'ied int gra l therewith adapted to engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit there throu h.

G. A device o'l the character described having, in combination. a car-ling, a plurality of stationary contact members attached to said lasing and insulated thercfrom, a rotatable driving member, a rotatable contact member embodying therein a phiirality o'l. contact plates pivotally mounted upon said rotatable driving; lIlQlllbGl, upon opposite sides of tha axis thoreot, each bar-- ingg' a foot formed integra l therewith ad apt ed to engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough, and means inserted between said unit-act plates adapted to lorcc said 'l eet oi the members away from each other.

7. device oi the character described having, in combination, a casino. :1 plurality oi stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a rotatable driving member. i! plurality of contact plates surroumliim' said rotatal'ile driving llltl'll'llit. and pivotally attached thereto upon opposite sides ct [he axis thcreo't.v each ot said contact plates being provided vrith a foot 'lormed integral l'l'iereivith adapted to engage said stationary contact inen'ibers and omplete an electric circuit therethrough.

8. A device of the character described having, in combination, a casing, a plurality of stationary contact members attached to saidcasing and insulated therefrom, a shaft, a sleeve rotatable with said shaft a plurality of contact plates surrounding said sleeve and pivotally attached thereto upon opposite sides of the axis thereof, each of said contact plates being provided with a foot formed integral therewith adapted to engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough, and a spring located between said contact plates. and adapted to force said feet of the members apart.

9. A device of the character described having, in combination, a casing, a plurality of stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a shaft, a sleeve rotatable with said shaft, a plurality of contact plates surroundingsaid sleeve and pivotally attached thereto upon opposite sides thereof, each of said contact plates being provided with a foot formed integral therewith adapted to engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough, a spring located between said contact plates and adapted to force said feet of the members apart, and a stop formed integral with one of said contact plates adapted to limit the movement of said feet apart. V

10. A device of the character described having, in combination, a casing, a plurality of stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a shaft, a sleeve rotatable with said shaft, and a rotatable contact member pivotally attached to said sleeve upon opposite sides of the axis thereof, said rotatable contact member embodying therein a plurality of contact plates, each having a foot formed integral therewith adapted to engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough, said contact plates being adapted to rock independently or in unison upon pivots common to each.

11. A device of the character described having, in combination, a casing, a plurality of stationary contact members attached to said casing and insulated therefrom, a shaft, a sleeve rotatable with said shaft, and a rotatable contact member pivotally attached to said sleeve upon opposite sides thereof, said rotatable contact member embodying therein a plurality of contact plates, each having a foot formed integral therewith adapted to engage said stationary contact members and complete an electric circuit therethrough, said contact plates being adapted to rock independently or in unison upon pivots common to each, and a spring attached to said sleeve and located between said contact plates and adapted to position said rotatable contact member upon said sleeve to engage said stationary contact members.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 JOHN A. ANDERSON. Witnesses:

FRANKLIN E. Low, HERMAN R. HOFFMAN. 

